I do hope the ghouls are under control. They may be minor, but they are clearly annoying, and they definitely set up barriers. There's clearly no easy solution, but I wonder if anyone has any good fairies around. They are just fairies, so have limited powers, but their small acts render life at least pleasanter (see the extra slice of cake in the break room), and sometimes actually easier. Alternatively, Dean Tabitha and Associate Dean Fluff are available for purring sessions.
Today is mid-term check-in, so I'm going to list session goals first, and then last week's goals. As a reminder, it is FINE/GOOD to change your goals mid-session. Maybe one goal was unrealistic? Maybe a new project has cropped up that is more interesting or more time critical that you want to take on. Etc. The rule is to BE KIND TO YOURSELVES.
Session goals
Contingent Cassandra
Professional:
--Write conference paper (due to the panel chair, if the usual patterns hold, in early March). (This is related to the study leave project, and I suspect might lead to an article, but is not one of the formal “deliverables” described in the leave proposal).
--Finish creating Omeka site to hold documents related to study leave project and begin populating it (my plan is to spend at least a bit of time on this each week, even if it’s only adding or preparing to add one document).
Personal:
--Engage in some sort of purposeful movement – short or long walks, stretching, weight-lifting, stair-climbing, maybe bike-riding – at least 5 out of every 7 days (preferably more, especially if I choose one of the shorter options some days). I actually made some progress on this over the break, so here, too, I’m trying to build/maintain momentum.
Daisy
2 Special Volume papers
1 revision of post-doc paper
1 small invited paper, my part is important but not huge
1 languishing-from-long-ago paper
2 internal grant applications
1 medium-sized external grant application
Dame Eleanor
- Finish off two chapters that are close to done (I think!)
- Outline a conference paper that will form the base of the least-done chapter
- Write the translation-oriented conference paper
- Make the Big MS List, with links, and engage in related correspondance
- Establish and maintain a tidy, organized study
- Plant up the new Native Plants Bed
- Detangle the grass and the sedum from each other in front bed
- Plan new course(s?) for next year
- Set up sewing machine and do some sewing
heu mihi
1. Book project: Finish draft of chapter 6; plan chapter 5; first revisions of chapters 3 and 4; finish up revisions of chapter 2 (possibly this week).
2. Conferences: One paper (due March 5), one brief and easy roundtable presentation (May).
3. Article revision--should be quick; I just want to add in a recently-read essay--due March 1.
4. Abstracts: One is drafted, due Feb. 15; one is nowhere, due April 1.
5. Health and fitness: Adjust exercise routines monthly in order to accommodate weather and daylight. Run 3-5 times/week; attempt to do some stretching before bed; one yoga class/week.
humming42
Draft and submit Squares proposal.
JaneB
1) Survival and personal and environmental self-care habits - health focus, with health defined broadly
2) Fun - making sure that every week I spend quality time with at least two of the activities that refill the well.
3) Workplace Boundaries - formally agreeing appropriate accommodations, navigating a phased return which focuses on my wellbeing not the immediate needs of the school, and never going more than 20% beyond the hours I am scheduled to work by my GP (which is... hard, because even at my normal full time I do at least 50% beyond my hours in term time).
4) Care and Feeding of the research - mixed volume submission, R&R for the never-ending paper, R&R for the many author paper, senior grad students' immediate papers (Consultancy and Method), processes for three PhD students (Consortium, Northern and Exotic).
Julie
1. Teaching: write three new lectures, everything else is same as last year, so try to keep prep to a minimum.
2. Read and examine PhD for early March (4th since the summer - I tried to say no).
3. Revise and submit grant application.
4. Do some research and writing, however minimal.
5. Health & fitness: work on establishing better sleep, get as much exercise as weekly schedule allows.
6. Self-care/fun: try to make space each week for reading fiction/TV/baking/other relaxation.
7. Book holidays - Berlin trip at Easter, think about summer plans.
Susan
Goal #1: Get Big Collaboration and Famous Author out and on their way to publication.
Goal #2: Finish way very late book review of book I want to read
Goal #3: Start playing with my next project, yet unnamed, but the "Rest of my life project"
Goal #4: Keep program moving, keep working effectively with people
Goal #5: Plan next year at My Favorite Library, where I will have a research fellowship
Goal #6: Keep up with exercise and relatively healthy eating
Goal #7: Do things to have fun
LAST WEEK'S GOALS
Contingent Cassandra
Daisy
All the grading
Record missed lectures
Post assignments for rest of term
Two thesis reviews and comments
Journal review
Data processing for student work
Fix embarrassing mistakes in data work
All the hiring stuff
Read undergrad thesis and edit/comment
Dame Eleanor
Exercise: swim x2 or x3, cardio + weights x3, yoga at least x4.
Work: sample syllabuses for 1 course proposal; ~3-4 hours/day on research (reading, translating, outlining, writing); prep for Latin group; attend a Zoom talk. Stick to work schedule except for day of dentist appt.
Social: attend a friend's live presentation; go to a funeral.
Creative: write out story climax idea/scene (may not have time for this, but it's a nice thing to keep around).
Planning: make trip arrangements; make eye exam appt for me.
Technical: turn on old desktop, look for creative files and tax-related stuff.
heu mihi
1. Journal catch-up: read new article; copy-edit article for next issue
2. Website edits--get around to them!
3. Prepare for and give professionalization workshop on Friday
4. Um...my research...remember what it was about? Read at least 3 articles/chapters, touch chapter 6.
5. Graduate students: Comment on draft intro to prospectus; read 1/2 of other student's chapter.
humming42
JaneB
1a - move intentionally three days
1b - do seven household tasks (check list in my bullet journal)
1c - reduce (lets be realistic here) refined sugar for Lent
2a - spend some decent reading time and do some doodling
2b - do some D&D preparation for a game I run, play D&D
2c - POST sister's birthday gifts and aunts card
3a - maintain boundaries, do minimal work hours (a couple of graduate student meetings are already in the diary, & I will need to check for Gossip after Friday when the new externally appointed Head of School visits. plus Interim Head of School is using my work email for all correspondance about my absence even though I am supposed to do no work, which to me means do NOT touch the email as that is the main cause of urgent work...
4a - meet with Senior Grad Student and Consultant about Consultancy Paper, meet with External Institution Graduate Student
Julie
1. Teaching prep (last week of seminars!)
2. More marking
3. Finish reading mediocre thesis and write report ahead of viva next week.
4. Submit article
5. Meeting with colleagues to discuss grant application.
6. Read book for book club on Saturday.
7. Host friends for dinner on Friday.
Susan
1. Read co-editors revisions to introduction, revise again
2. Finish uploading what we have (mindless task, but necessary)
3. Start substantive revisions on last chapter of Famous Author/ take account of articles just read
4. Have meetings re admissions
5. Meet with grad students
6. Eat/Move/Sleep
7. Do something fun
8: do some more decluttering or journals
My ghouls are not under control. I think bad student writing is particularly ghoulish. And the essays just seem to multiply, so also the stuff of horror. But there are good fairies. This week they took the form of colleagues who said lovely things about my grant application. And there was cake at our staff meeting.
ReplyDeleteSession goals
1. Teaching: write three new lectures, everything else is same as last year, so try to keep prep to a minimum. - 2 down, 1 to go.
2. Read and examine PhD for early March (4th since the summer - I tried to say no). - Happening tomorrow.
3. Revise and submit grant application. - Some progress, but submission won't happen this session.
4. Do some research and writing, however minimal. - NO, but maybe once teaching ends.
5. Health & fitness: work on establishing better sleep, get as much exercise as weekly schedule allows. - Ha ha, no
6. Self-care/fun: try to make space each week for reading fiction/TV/baking/other relaxation. - Some, but not sure it feels purposeful enough, as opposed to snatched or done when I'm too exhausted to work but not switched off enough to sleep.
7. Book holidays - Berlin trip at Easter, think about summer plans. - Yes, no
Teaching does end in two weeks, so then I should have more time to focus on the goals I want to achieve, rather than the stuff that just has to be done.
Last week:
1. Teaching prep (last week of seminars!) - YES
2. More marking - YES, but still so much.
3. Finish reading mediocre thesis and write report ahead of viva next week. - YES
4. Submit article - YES
5. Meeting with colleagues to discuss grant application. - YES (and it was really helpful)
6. Read book for book club on Saturday. - YES (and loved it)
7. Host friends for dinner on Friday. - YES
A lot was done, but it was mostly stuff that had to be done on the work front, and getting it done has meant working every evening until late, and as much of the weekend as I could manage. Particularly resenting the marking, as I just shouldn't have this much.
This week:
1. Viva tomorrow, write up joint report with external.
2. Finish marking (due Thursday).
3. Write final lecture for next week.
4. Two PhD chapters for different students.
5. Short report on research trips last term for funder (due Thursday)
6. More meetings.
7. Nephew's birthday present.
Marking is definitely ghoulish!
DeleteThat is a lot of yesses for the week! And lovely to have good comments from colleagues, and cake is always great...
DeleteCake! See, I knew there were some good fairies around. (Also, the people who helped with the grant application!) What was the book for your book group? Always looking for good recommendations!
DeleteA few good things worked in there.... Sorry about all the marking, though; I hope that it settles down soon! Papers do tend to proliferate, don't they?
DeleteSESSION GOALS
ReplyDeleteSession goals might as well stay as is - although I do have some tweaks, e.g. the mixed volume paper is probably not making it due to various crises at my co-author's institution (more illness and the ripple effects of that on everyone else... a lot of it about!), there's not much need to actually change the goals.
I had a GP appointment yesterday and am signed off until the 25th of March. So at least I know where I am there for a few weeks... My nibling is now in the "I hate them" stage of having not got a university offer, and seems to have at least a couple of sensible action steps to find something suitable to do next year - it's good progress that they aren't wallowing for weeks in the "aargh cannot see any way forward" stage!
LAST WEEK:
I was very discombobulated by all the stress the week before, and by losing the bit of structure/driver provided by having some work each day - so had some days when I got a few things done, some binge reading, some very little done days, and my sleep schedule (and eating) are completely screwy again. SIGH. We pick up and start over...
1a - move intentionally three days a win - I managed 5 days and sometimes it even felt quite pleasant
1b - do seven household tasks (check list in my bullet journal) three. I am so bad at household tasks...
1c - reduce (lets be realistic here) refined sugar for Lent this is not really happening
2a - spend some decent reading time and do some doodling yes - in binge-y bursts, but reading - and once. Also bought some craft supplies and started a knitting project
2b - do some D&D preparation for a game I run, play D&D yes, skipped one game due to having a really bad mood day but played today
2c - POST sister's birthday gifts and aunts card yes, sister was pleased with the things I got her
3a - maintain boundaries, do minimal work hours (a couple of graduate student meetings are already in the diary, & I will need to check for Gossip after Friday when the new externally appointed Head of School visits. plus Interim Head of School is using my work email for all correspondance about my absence even though I am supposed to do no work, which to me means do NOT touch the email as that is the main cause of urgent work...)ish, 3:45 hours of work, no gossip yet but quite a lot of worrying stuff about voluntary exits and financial crunches...
4a - meet with Senior Grad Student and Consultant about Consultancy Paper, meet with External Institution Graduate Student yes to both
NEXT WEEKS GOALS:
This coming week I have a Formal Review of Absence meeting (with HR and with a Union rep) which is stressful so I want to do some preparation (e.g. going over possible reasonable adjustments) - I don't THINK it's actually scary, but it's an unknown. And my HR rep is, once again, not replying to any emails. Sigh...
1a - move intentionally three days
1b - do seven household tasks (check list in my bullet journal)
1c - reduce (lets be realistic here) refined sugar for Lent
1d - make sure I do rest after a few hours (I think that's part of what has messed up my sleep...)
1e - read one book on ADHD, 7 types of rest for burnout recovery reading
2a - spend some decent reading time, do some doodling, knit
2b - do some D&D preparation for a game I run, play D&D
2c - sort out cards and gifts for Mothering Sunday (Sunday 10th in the UK) and my Mum's birthday (which is next week, sigh)
3a - maintain boundaries, prepare for Review, do minimal work hours (one grad student meeting in the diary, possibly one more if it can be scheduled), & check for Gossip
4a - anything that comes up re: future graduate students (I've had another enquiry!)
Way to go on intentional movement and presents and yarn shopping as good things!
DeleteGood luck with the review meeting, that sounds very stressful.
That actually sounds like a good week, though I get the frustration about the Interim HoS using work email. The problem is that I don't want officials at my work to know my personal email... Best of luck with the big meeting.
DeleteI have three gmail accounts, a personal one, a professional one (set up for job hunting!), and one for one-off internet things like games where I don't want to use my regular personal address, and emails from all of those feed into the email app on my mobile phone, so it's very easy to check them (I've installed the work email separately as an app on my phone so I can check MY email and ignore the work stuff when I want to). I did meet most of my small goals, I just had some really bad nothing-days along the way...
DeleteThanks for mentioning the 7 types of rest! I've been vaguely thinking about building in rests/breaks/transitions in my day, and had considered a few of these, but it's useful to have a longer list.
DeleteSend the fairies please, with cake! Any little bit helps. Purring sessions also great, one can never have too many of those. In the good news section, there is lots more daylight these days so I’m not going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. This week my kid and I are on our own so our goal is to have take-out every single night! (Key to happiness is small achievable goals right?). I’m not giving up anything for Lent, except maybe sleep…
ReplyDeleteLast 2 weeks’ goals
All the grading MOSTLY DONE
Record missed lectures DECIDED WE DID NOT REALLY NEED THEM
Post assignments for rest of term DONE
Two thesis reviews and comments ALMOST
Journal review DONE
Data processing for student work DONE
Fix embarrassing mistakes in data work IN PROGRESS
All the hiring stuff IN PROGRESS
Read undergrad thesis and edit/comment ALMOST DONE
The theme of this week is more… just more of everything…
This week’s goals
More visits
More grading
More fixing data issues
More thesis comments
More thesis rewrites
Session goals are actually going pretty well, mostly because they were last session’s goals and didn’t get done until January… But that totally counts so I will enjoy ticking them off!
2 Special Volume papers KEEP, BOTH IN REVIEW, INCLUDING THE ONE WITH THE GIANT MISTAKE… GOOD TIMES…
1 revision of post-doc paper KEEP, NOT DONE
1 small invited paper, my part is important but not huge DONE, WILL RETURN FROM REVIEW AT SOME POINT
1 languishing-from-long-ago paper IN PROGRESS, CO-AUTHOR PROVIDED GREAT STUFF, KEEP
2 internal grant applications ONE DONE (SUCCESS), MAYBE DO OTHER ONE?
1 medium-sized external grant application DONE, REJECTED ALREADY
ADDING: Get three thesis student through final copies and defenses before mid-April.
Almost is good. I'm sorry no fairies brought cake, though. And it's always interesting to realize you can cut things out of a course when things are missing! And with you on how the light helps. (And we just realized today that next Sunday Daylight Savings time starts in the US: it's SO early!
DeleteIt always feels SO good to get assignments for the rest of term posted! I wish you could pop in for some chocolate cake!
DeleteI love deciding that something doesn't need to be done (here, recording lectures)! Hooray for that!
DeleteWell, the ghoul is gone, but I think now I have a plague of rats! That is, the old desktop has been plugged in, turned on, and allowed to update itself (its rest has certainly not made it any faster or more cooperative), and I have opened up the extra-secure e-mail account I use for financial things and deleted quantities of what amounts to spam from my mortgage company, bank, and insurance. (I hadn't looked at this account since August, which should be very bad but actually doesn't seem to have caused any problems.) One or more rats will be figuring out how to unsubscribe from everything that isn't an important notification, and another will be figuring out my password for that e-mail or just setting a new one. Then there will still be the backing up, getting programs set up on new computer, yadda yadda rats rats rats. But at least I'm no longer feeling like even turning on the desktop is the next thing to impossible! THANK YOU ALL for the chocolate, the cheering section, and the anti-ghoul charm that could be used by a non-magic-practitioner (I believe those are harder to prepare than it is to just say the incantation, for someone who can actually do magic).
ReplyDeleteNow, goals, starting with session---how insanely delusional was I?
- Finish off two chapters that are close to done (I think!): Let's cut this down to ONE chapter, so I have time for some other things!
- Outline a conference paper that will form the base of the least-done chapter: KEEP, stress on Outline
- Write the translation-oriented conference paper: essential, becoming urgent
- Make the Big MS List, with links, and engage in related correspondance: KEEP, and actually start working on this
- Establish and maintain a tidy, organized study: HA! Let's scrap this one. You never know, maybe I'll have a fit of procrastination and it'll come to pass, but I'd rather not have this as a goal.
- Plant up the new Native Plants Bed: KEEP, that's for April.
- Detangle the grass and the sedum from each other in front bed: KEEP, start work on warm days.
- Plan new course(s?) for next year: KEEP---this one I have actually started!
- Set up sewing machine and do some sewing: KEEP, because I really would enjoy doing this---sometime!
I think I've been my own good fairy, as I made chocolate cake this evening. Anyway, last week's goals and how I did with them:
DeleteExercise: swim x2 or x3, cardio + weights x3, yoga at least x4. YES on swim, cardio, yoga, still skipping weights b/c tendinitis.
Work: sample syllabuses for 1 course proposal; ~3-4 hours/day on research (reading, translating, outlining, writing); prep for Latin group; attend a Zoom talk. Stick to work schedule except for day of dentist appt. YES to time, talk, Latin, schedule; still not making much headway with that syllabus.
Social: attend a friend's live presentation; go to a funeral. YES to both.
Creative: write out story climax idea/scene (may not have time for this, but it's a nice thing to keep around). NO
Planning: make trip arrangements; make eye exam appt for me. NO, but I did write out some goals and a tentative schedule for March.
Technical: turn on old desktop, look for creative files and tax-related stuff. YES, NO, Started.
ALSO: went to the dentist and the SFF book group (even though I hadn't read the book) and handwork group, mailed birthday cards to 2 friends, started planning a new course I will teach in the fall (since our teaching schedules finally came out and it's confirmed I'll have this one---unfortunately not the class for which I need the syllabus for the course proposal!).
New goals!
Exercise: cardio x5, yoga at least x4.
Work: sample syllabus for 1 course proposal; ~3-5 hours/day on research (reading, translating, outlining, writing); prep for Latin group; finish Alms section.
Social/outings: attend live presentation at LRU library; take Basement Cat to vet.
Creative: find files on old desktop; write out story climax idea/scene (may not have time for this, but it's a nice thing to keep around).
Planning: make April trip arrangements; make eye exam appt for me; assemble tax documents.
I hope this week will be quieter than last---I had about nine hours of social events, all told, which is a lot, especially when over half of them was the wake-funeral services-baked meats marathon.
I'm so glad you have been a good fairy for yourself! Chocolate cake sounds great. (I made a lemon cake last week and I ate too much cake!) And it sounds as if you're making progress, except maybe on the syllabus.
DeleteExploding the ghoul into a swarm of rats definitely sounds like progress, rats can be tackled one at a time... and possibly even appeased with chocolate cake (or is chocolate bad for rodents?)
DeleteThere have been good fairies about: on Friday, we had prospective graduate students visiting, and on Wednesday night I managed to find grad chairs in other departments who had people going to the airport to pick up or drop off people at the same time we had to pick up our student. (I was not the only one panicked on Wednesday night!) So all the students arrived and left on time, and no one got stuck.
ReplyDeleteHow I did: Weekly Goals:
1. Read co-editors revisions to introduction, revise again Yes, but need more time.
2. Finish uploading what we have (mindless task, but necessary) YES
3. Start substantive revisions on last chapter of Famous Author/ take account of articles just read NO
4. Have meetings re admissions YES
5. Meet with grad students YES
6. Eat/Move/Sleep YES/NOT REALLY/ Mostly
7. Do something fun HaHa Ha
8. Journals or decluttering -- 2 journals
Well, I'd forgotten when I made my goals that I had the Graduate Visitation on Friday, which had some last minute planning (including airport pickups) and was basically from 9 AM to 8:30 PM. Then on Saturday we had our department "retreat" (at a local hotel, but a change of place and food.) So my "fun" time was non-existent. And I'd tripped and fallen on the previous Saturday, so was not feeling very active. I think as a result I've had some bad sleep nights, so while I feel good about the week, I didn't make all my goals.
The good news is that my work on admissions means that we actually have been able to admit all the students at the top of our list.
Goals for next week:
1. Read revised chapters as they come in, upload
2. Spend a coherent 2-3 hours on the introduction
3. Write the VERY LATE review. (I have just emailed the journal and said it would arrive by next Monday.)
4. Maybe do some journals or decluttering
5. Plan March trip to conference and friends
6. Do something fun
7. Eat/ Move / Sleep
Session Goals:
DeleteGoal #1: Get Big Collaboration and Famous Author out and on their way to publication. Both are progressing
Goal #2: Finish way very late book review of book I want to read SEE GOALS FOR THIS WEEK
Goal #3: Start playing with my next project, yet unnamed, but the "Rest of my life project" THIS IS ASPIRATIONAL, but I'll keep it
Goal #4: Keep program moving, keep working effectively with people YES
Goal #5: Plan next year at My Favorite Library, where I will have a research fellowship DONE
Goal #6: Keep up with exercise and relatively healthy eating MOSTLY
Goal #7: Do things to have fun YES
Aside for Goal #3, which is likely to start very late in the session, I think I'm on track with all of these. And our grad visitation day is the end of the big work, I think. So I'll keep them all. Will be SO happy when the review is DONE.
I hope that your graduate admissions yields good students! We haven't had any prospective graduate students accept our offers yet this year, which is worrying--our funding package is just non-competitive. It's frustrating.
DeleteInteresting to revisit the goals this week, when so much of February just went off the rails.
ReplyDelete1. Book project: Finish draft of chapter 6; plan chapter 5; first revisions of chapters 3 and 4; finish up revisions of chapter 2 (possibly this week).
--I'm going to keep this, but I'm not at all sure which part(s) are going to get done. I just want to keep them here so that I have options. Chapter 2 revisions are pretty much complete (I've since thought of something that I want to add), but I haven't looked at 3 or 4; I have spent (literally) 15 minutes planning ch. 5 this semester; but I have worked on ch. 6 a little.
2. Conferences: One paper (due March 5), one brief and easy roundtable presentation (May).
--The paper due March 5 (for April conference) is done. The May presentation will happen.
3. Article revision--should be quick; I just want to add in a recently-read essay--due March 1.
--Done.
4. Abstracts: One is drafted, due Feb. 15; one is nowhere, due April 1.
--Feb. 15 is done; April 1 is very much NOT. This is a good reminder to return to the question of what, exactly, I will write.
5. Health and fitness: Adjust exercise routines monthly in order to accommodate weather and daylight. Run 3-5 times/week; attempt to do some stretching before bed; one yoga class/week.
--Was doing this pretty well before I got sick two weeks ago. Not so great since then.
Basically: Keeping all goals, but I might not meet them all.
Last week:
1. Journal catch-up: read new article; copy-edit article for next issue--DONE; now I have the other journal to deal with!
2. Website edits--get around to them!--DONE very last minute (i.e. Sunday afternoon)
3. Prepare for and give professionalization workshop on Friday--DONE
4. Um...my research...remember what it was about? Read at least 3 articles/chapters, touch chapter 6.--Read 2 articles (well, 1.5, since 1 was already started); have not remembered what I'm doing, though.
5. Graduate students: Comment on draft intro to prospectus; read 1/2 of other student's chapter.--Yes, No
This week: Continue endless catch-up! Maybe restart research! Maybe restart exercise and meditation routines!
1. Exercise some; sit some
2. Read grad student's chapter
3. Initial assessment of two journal submissions
4. Find reviewer(s) for other journal's submission
5. Read 3 articles for research
That's a pretty good week! And I feel you on "keeping the goals even though you might not meet them. Hope you get some good grad students! (Our packages are good, which helps....)
Delete